A Midnight Visitation
by Rose of a Muse
Summary: What's going to happen when one of the trio of girl's from sourstrawroxor's Saiyuki: An Unlikely Destiny decides to drop by on Sanzo in the middle of the night? Will she change his mind about them?


The trio of young women made it to town before the young men- just barely. Not that it had really helped them.

"We still have no money for anything." The young blonde had pointed out to the older girls.

"We at least need money to take care of the animals." The oldest murmured after a few moments, blue eyes narrowing, the wheels of her mind already churning.

The honey-eyed twenty-year-old winced, wondering what could be going through her older companion's mind this time. She absently rested a hand on the somewhat skittish Paso Fino/Arabian's neck.

"Whatever you're planning, leave me out of it."

The flaxen young woman had beat her to the line.

Blueberry gems rolled to the tallest girl.

"Excuse me, but you don't even know what I'm thinking."

"And I don't want to." Ashley muttered.

"Fine."

Her clear cerulean gaze next met that of the younger brunette.

"Mandi?"

Her name came out sounding more like a pleading whine than a confident request.

Chocolate tresses swaying over her shoulders with each step taken, the young woman gave it some thought before shaking her head.

"No. I don't think so. The last time you had one of your ideas, we had to run away from a townful of really pissed off youkai."

Katie stopped in her tracks, taken aback by her younger friend's words.

"B-but Ashley was in there with me!"

"Yeah, but she wasn't the one who started it."

A wave of hurt jolted through her. It wasn't the fact that they were right. She could admit defeat. It was just that she'd had no idea what else to do. She couldn't just leave her babies behind. She'd rescued Rose once before, when she'd bought her at the age of 17. She wasn't going to leave the mare for god-only-knew-what fate. And Cosa was Rose's friend.

"Fine. I'll deal on my own then. The mule, however, is not my problem. If I have enough, I'll put her up for the night. If not, then that's up to the two of you."

"I'm not watching Rose for you." Ashley said matter-of-factly before turning to head for the stables.

"She's your responsibility."

Though softer, the twenty-year-old's voice was just as firm as her younger counterpart's. She chanced a glance to the older girl, honey orbs meeting sky blue.

"I know." Katie's voice had a touch of softness with her serious yet sad tone.

"That's why I _had_ to get them out of there any way possible. Who knows who they may have ended up with otherwise? That's also why I need to do whatever necessary to make sure they're taken care of. But I can't do that with one of them tagging along. So, I need you to watch her so I can get the money. Please?"

"How are you planning on doing that?"

It was curiosity. She held nothing against the blue-eyed girl. Not really. She only worried that the yen gained might not be worth however she plotted to get it.

"I don't know yet. I'll get it though. So, don't worry, okay?"

Taking the reins of the mare as she's passed to her, Mandi couldn't help the niggling of anxiety in the back of her mind. With that, she watched the older young woman walk away before turning to follow after Ashley.

Waitressing. That was her big idea. Out of everything else she could have done, she'd chosen waitressing.

"Yeah. I remember an episode like this. The last one on the first disc."

Katie muttered wryly to herself. Poor Yaone. She recalled what those men had put her through. Hopefully they wouldn't do the same to her.

Walking into the restaurant, she showed herself past seated patrons to a door that proved to be an office area, despite the calls of a waitress trying to get her attention.

Of course there was the language barrier, but she knew enough about oriental cuisine that she could write it down- albeit not in kanji. And she at least knew enough of the language for pleasantries. Knocking at the door, she waited until she heard a muffled 'hai?' before opening it to find a portly, black-haired middle-aged man sifting papers behind a nearly bare desk.

Wary of the strange woman before him, he spoke in a no-nonsense tone.

_"If you have no business back here, then please leave."_

He pointed to the door that she'd just entered through for emphasis.

The brunette shook her head defiantly and managed to bewilder him when she spoke in a completely foreign tongue.

_"I said to get out."_ He pointed again rather sternly to the door.

"No! Iie!"

The last he'd understood.

After a few more tries, he realized she was set on bothering him until he gave in to whatever it was the slim young woman wanted.

Crossing her arms in front of her, the willowy girl chewed on her lower lip in thought, gazing about the room in interest. Startling blue/gray depths were trained on the man when he spoke again, his posture and gestures giving her hints to his actual words.

_"Fine."_

He threw his hands into the air in defeat.

_"What is it that you want? I do have a business to run you know."_

Bushy black eyebrows furrowed together and he glowered at her intimidatingly.

"Finally." She muttered beneath her breath.

Double-checking the area, she found an unused apron hanging on the back of the door. Taking the few steps to grab it, she put it on, tying the strings around the back.

"Obvious enough for you?"

Not truly appreciating the hint of attitude this stranger had, he rubbed a hand over his face. Only recently one of the girls that had worked for him had been attacked by the nearby youkai. He was short on help, but did he truly need the help of a stranger who apparently couldn't even speak the language? However, Sakura had had been complaining that everything was just too much for her to take care of on her own.

_"Okay. You're hired. Demo, only temporarily."_

Rising from his seat, he muttered more to himself than actually saying anything to her.

_"It's not like you understand me, but you'll be working until closing, if you can do this. What's your name?"_

Blinking twin pools of blue, she only stared at him blankly.

_"Who are you? I at least need to know your name."_

When nothing changed, he sighed in frustration before snapping his fingers and grabbed a pen and some paper. Slowly and meticulously he scrawled his name across it before handing the items to her.

_"Your name girl. What is it?"_

Glancing at the writing on the paper, Katie took a few moments before comprehension dawned on her face.

"Hikaru? What the- Oh! That's your name! So, you want me to write mine down?"

It would only make sense after all. Excited that she'd been hired on after all, she wrote her name down in the same careful manner she'd noticed him using.

"My name is Katie."

_"Katie? Okay then, **Katie.** Let me get you a uniform and I'll send you to an easy table for starters. Thank you for your help."_

Catching the thanks- and not bothering to correct the mispronunciation of her name- the young woman responded in kind.

"Itashimashite."

Stopping in his tracks from hearing a word he knew, Hikaru shook his head wryly.

_"You might make it after all."_

The time had passed and - though there had been a few mistakes with certain dishes- the oldest of the three girls proved polite and a hard worker, despite any gaps in language comprehension. Her only true fault seemed to be that she liked to daydream.

_"Katie-san, wake up! We have customers wanting their food!"_

Snapping out of her reverie, the 22-year-old took the yelling to mean 'Move your ass and serve your customers!'

And so the day had gone. By the time her boss had come for the borrowed items to send her on her way, and to give her what she'd earned besides her tips, the bubbly girl felt dead on her feet.

"Arigatou, Hikaru-san! Ja ne!"

_"Itashimashite. Ja ne."_

Bowing his head respectfully, the older man followed her to the door and watched her walk away. She'd looked awfully pale- too much so for his liking. She had worked hard through the day, even refusing the break he'd offered. Though he had to wonder if she'd even realized that's what he'd meant.

Finding the stable without too much difficulty, the lean chestnut-haired young woman paid the stable hand for the two horses and paid Mandi for watching them.

"What in the hell did you do?"

"I sold myself." Came the smart-ass reply.

"You were gone for a while. Did you have anything to eat?"

The growling of the older girl's stomach gave that answer away.

"No. It took this whole damn time to get enough for Rose and Cosa and to pay you back. If people complain about being a waitress back... _home,_ then they should really try it where no one understands a goddamn thing they say."

"Then take this back. I'll be alright."

"No. You helped me. You deserve it Mandi. Besides, I still have a little left."

"Then get something to eat."

"Somebody needs to save back some cash. We can't keep expecting Hakkai to rescue us at every turn."

"If you say so." The younger brunette muttered.

"Oyasumi."

"Oyasumi."

And the blue-eyed brunette sought Rose's stall to get some sleep. Yet, even for as exhausted as she felt, sleep didn't come. Tossing, turning, and then finally giving up, she nestled closer to her mare to drop a kiss on her sleek neck.

"Be a good girl. Okay, Rosie? I'll be back, I promise."

Whickering softly, the bay horse watched as her friend exited the stall.

Wandering the town aimlessly for some time, Katie looked up in surprise to see the inn.

"It's the damn monk's fault that we're in this situation."

Grumbling more in fatigue than anything else, the conniving young woman walked the perimeters of the one-story tavern, looking for any signs of the blond occupying one of the rooms.

Unwillingly, tears misted her vision and the troublesome female rapidly blinked them away.

"Goddamnit." She muttered beneath her breath. She absolutely hated what she had in store for the blond priest, but someone had to stand up to him.

Peering into another window, Katie noted the white robes of a certain someone hanging over the back of the chair.

"Bingo. That's him unless they happen to have more than one monk staying here tonight."

Calculating how to get into the room without disturbing his pain-in-the-ass-highness, she ended up just hoisting herself through the window. She hadn't expected that he'd be awake until it was too late.

Spinning on his heel, the blond Genjyo Sanzo glared harshly at his unannounced company.

_"What in the hell are you doing here! Get out!"_

Frightened at first by his tone of voice, the lithe- and very tired- brunette quickly recovered herself and took on a very defiant stance, knowing instinctively what had come from his mouth.

"Iie! I refuse to!"

_"I said to get the hell out. Don't think I won't shoot you because I will."_

Of course he was threatening her. If he even _tried_ to pull his banishing gun out on her, she'd shove the damn thing up his ass.

"Not until you listen to what I have to say!"

How he wished he could still understand her and speak her language. Then he could tell this pain-in-his-ass where to go.

_"You're worse than the goddamn monkey!"_

All she caught was something about 'saru.'

"Saru lo mein?"

He did a double-take, wondering just where in the hell that had come from.

_"Kuso!"_

"Swear all you want priesty. I am _not_ going to-"

Finding his banishing pistol, the lovely monk pointed it in her direction.

_"Get the fuck out of here- now!"_

Bright azure orbs lifted to meet amethyst.

Beautiful. He was so beautiful to her, but he still managed to piss the brunette off. Maybe they couldn't understand each other's words, but they more than understood the under lying tones.

"You son of a bitch!"

_"You are nothing but a pain in my ass. Leave me the hell alone!"_

The glare at the door told her what she'd already guessed. He was kicking her out.

'Maybe he has every right to, but I'm not leaving. Not until he listens and we come to some sort of understanding between our two groups.'

As altruistic as the young woman told herself her actions were, she knew deep down she was doing this more for a personal vendetta.

Crossing lean arms over an ample chest, she shook her head in defiance.

"Hell no. Not until you hear me out blondie."

Seething, he didn't hesitate to fire just past her when she dared to take a step closer to him. Fearful, she snapped at him and smacked him soundly across that face. That's when all hell broke out.

Stung in more way than one by her actions, the very unconventional priest returned the strike only to be met once more with cold, unyielding azure gems.

"Don't... you _ever_... do that again!"

It had all proved too much for her fragile body.

Feeling a familiar ache in the pit of her stomach, Katie carefully lowered herself to the floor. She couldn't- she _wouldn't-_ ask for help. Not from him.

Kneeling safely on the planks of his room, one hand began to tremble and her stomach heaved, causing her to wretch.

Alarmed by this turn of events, Sanzo snorted, trying to cover his concern.

_"Daijubou?"_

"Iie."

Shaking her head weakly from side to side, the stubborn girl fell the rest of the way to lie on her back, quivering uncontrollably. Frustrated beyond belief by her body's weakness, she closed her eyes and screeched past gritted teeth.

His first inclination was to yell at her to shut up, but his conscience stopped him, sounding oh so much like his late master Koumyou Sanzo.

_'She's sick. Don't yell at her. Perhaps it would be kinder for you to offer her a hand of help. She seems to be your mirror, to an extent.'_

_"She's nothing like me! How could she ever understand!"_

Anger burned in those amethyst depths, his words coming out as a growl filled with so much pain. No one could ever understand.

Quieting, the young woman concentrated on her companion, trying to calm the both of them.

"S-sanzo, l-l-listen to m-me. Even... if you c-can't unders-s-stand what I'm s-saying, just l-listen to the sound of m-my v-voice."

Taking in a deep breath and relaxing her body the best she could, the brunette continued speaking soothingly to him.

Calm. How could she be calm now? Didn't she know she wasn't in the best of shape?

_'She's worried about you.'_

_"Worry about yourself."_

"Sanzo, I-I'll be fine. I p-promise. Just- give me a little t-time to rest. Onegai?"

Please? Please _what?_

"You have to accept that we didn't belong there. We never did. If-"

She sighed, taking in two deep gulps of air as the tremors finally subsided.

"If you give us just a little time and the chance, we could prove to you that we can pull our weight."

She closed bright blue eyes against the wave of emotional pain.

"Even I can."

_"Stop talking. That's all I need is the other two haunting me because I let you die."_

Stopping to grasp her wrist, he not-too-gently pulled her to her feet, only to find her knees buckling beneath the weight.

_"Stand **up!**"_

Heaving her to stand straight once more, the monk found her hands about his neck, her face buried in his chest.

"I'm standing- sorta. Now what?"

The pretty brunette's voice came out muffled, though he wouldn't have been able to make out anything she said anyways. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought she was hitting on him.

Nudging the oldest of the young women to the bed, High Priest Genjyo Sanzo the Thirty-First unceremoniously dumped her on it. Before he could escape her though, lithe digits wrapped around his wrist and weakly tugged.

Skeptical violet orbs met weary azure.

"Arigatou Sanzo-sama."

Not given the chance to respond when light blue gems fluttered closed, the hard-ass monk snorted and made his way across the small room. Picking up the paper he'd already read, perching his glasses on his nose, he made himself as comfortable as possible in the chair.

A couple of hours passed before the chestnut-tressed young woman forced her eyes open, almost feeling worse than before getting any sleep.

"Hare-hetta."

Her soft voice murmured before she could stop herself. She hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast really.

Catching the light in two hard lavender orbs, the woman flinched, much too tired to put up a fight.

_"You shouldn't even be in here. Don't think I'm going to feed you just because-"_

"G-gomen nasai!"

The brunette wailed pathetically, beginning to cry again. She was just too tired to help herself.

_"Baka!"_ He snapped.

When his unwanted company began to laugh, he wondered just why she was doing so.

"Baka saru?"

Katie's tone held no animosity, only a quiet curiosity. The haughty blond was treating her more like Goku. Her lagging spirits lifted at what the blue-eyed girl perceived as a good thing.

What in the hell was she talking about? Goku?

_"Nani?"_

"Baka saru- am I like Goku?"

Weakly sitting up against the pillows now, she pointed to herself, said the monkey-esque youth's name and then shrugged. All he rewarded her with was another glare.

The span of about three minutes passed before her stomach growled, interrupting the silence.

"Harehetta."

Soulful gray-blue eyes met reserved amethyst.

"Harehetta. Ummmmmmmm... White rice?"

_"What in the hell are you grumbling about **this** time? If you're hungry, too bad."_

Shaking the paper, the monk discovered it was impossible not to peek over the top when he heard something clinking in her hands.

"I didn't expect you to pay for it. I don't know if anything's open, but I was just asking you to possibly get it for me. I'm too tired and I can't speak your language well enough."

Putting the paper on the stand beside the chair, he scowled accusingly at the bed-ridden girl.

_"Did Hakkai give that to you? Kuso!"_

Blue eyes widening in surprise, she gazed in confusion for just a moment or two and then righteous anger alit their depths.

"Iie! Hakkai did _not_ do anything of the kind. I worked hard for this, thank you very goddamn much!"

_"Then where-"_

"I sold myself if it's any of your damn business, which it is not!"

Only too late waking to the fact that she'd overdone herself again, Katie allowed the yen to fall through shivering fingers, sliding down so her head hit the pillows again.

_"Kuso! All you do is cause trouble for me!"_

Even as he spoke, the ill-tempered purple-eyed man shoved himself from where he sat and dug around for a meatbun he'd been saving.

_"Eat this before I'm blamed for your death."_

Gingerly placing the treat in her quivering hand, and making sure it wouldn't fall, Sanzo knelt to pick up the dropped money, placing it all in her other hand.

_"Keep it. You'll need it because I'm not saving your ass again. Got that?"_

"Arigatou." The reply came out soft.

Slipping the yen into her pocket, the sickly female tore the pastry in half, holding the bigger part to him.

"Demo, it's yours and I don't want to take all of your food. You're anorexic enough as it is without my help monk."

_"Iie. Eat it."_

He shook sun-kissed golden locks, somewhat frustrated by her actions.

_'Could it be that you're wrong about her? About all of them?'_

His conscience yet again niggled at him.

Snorting was the only verbal response he offered to the familiar voice before shoving it away. No. He refused to believe what everything else pointed to. These three could _not_ be the elementals. Her actions were only to throw him off balance before he added yet another person to his ever growing list of people out to use and abuse him. Hadn't she already proven back where she- where they _all-_ belonged that she rather enjoyed messing with his mind?

_"Eat, then get out."_

Hard violet orbs flickered from the meatbun to the door.

Poised to take a bite, she put the food in her lap, shaking her head.

"Iie. Not until you hear me out Sanzo."

Keeping her voice gentle- trying desperately not to stress herself out again- Katie slowly pulled herself to a sitting position once more.

_"What now!"_

The pretty monk threw his hands up in exasperation.

"Mandi, Ash, and I want to find Erin. That's all. I- I don't really know if I am the Earth Elemental or not. Demo, I still want to help you. Even if you don't have the foggiest what I'm saying."

Lowering azure pools, she tentatively nibbled at the soft bread.

He'd caught the names of the other three girls and the word 'but.' Sanzo felt defeated in trying to hold a conversation with this girl. Ashley left him alone for the most part. And Mandi was too afraid of him to try much. But Katie seemed to test him at every turn. He hated that. Yet here he was, trying to understand what she wanted to tell him anyways.

Glowering, the mouthy monk muttered low.

_"Just to get you the hell out of my hair."_

It took a lot of thought on the part of the young woman, but she managed to figure out a way to get the basics across with a form of charades. The light in his violet pools let her know if her idea was getting across- she hoped.

Finishing the smaller portion of the precious nourishment, she pointed one long finger to the floor, out the window and then to herself, shrugging.

"I don't know if I'm the Earth Elemental dear. Hell, I don't know who or _what_ the fuck I am."

Sighing, she waited for his response.

_"What are you talking about?"  
_What did the floor have to do with anything? The floor? Outside? The floor outside?

_"The ground? What about it?"_

The ground, the grass, the soil, the flowers? The earth?

_'Her element?'_

_"Humph. I can answer that one for you right now. You're not **anything** special."_

_'That was rather harsh, even for you. You should apologize Kouryuu.'_

Hackles raised along the back of his neck at the mental admonishment, but he finally conceded.

_"At least not here. Not that it matters. It's too late anyways."_

"So, I'm not anything spectacular. I still want to help."

Bright eyes again filled with tears. She had the distinct feeling that whatever he'd said wasn't very kind.

"But it's not something I didn't already know."

Rubbing the moisture away with the heels of her palms, the usually cocky 22-year-old pointed to her companion, then to herself and finally to the way of where the sun lowered itself beneath the horizon each night.

_"Iie. You're **not** coming with us. I don't need anymore baggage."_

Gazing sternly, he felt some of his resolve melt at the look in her clear orbs. It much resembled the look Goku had given him the first time he'd set eyes on the brat.

"Fine. Do you want me to just gift wrap myself for the youkai?"

Readily discerning the sarcasm dripping from her voice, the golden-haired male crossed his arms over a sleekly muscled, black silk-clad chest.

_"Youkai, huh?"_

"Hai."

Turning his head to look out the window, he hid his smirk from her. She'd gone from ridiculing him to being calm and sweet in only a matter of seconds.

Crawling slowly from the bed, the brunette cautiously crept up behind him.

"Sanzo-sama?"

Just as she was about to lay her hand on his shoulder, his lean fingers wrapped firmly about her wrist.

_"Nani?"_

Flinging herself around him, Katie enveloped the beautiful priest in a hug.

"Arigatou. For... well, everything."

_Thank you!_ Why in the hell was she thanking him _this_ time?

_'Indeed. You stranded them even after they more than gladly helped you in their world.'_

Prying her off of him- even as he's pricked by the minutest feelings of guilt- Sanzo rests a hand on her head for a moment before letting it slide off and snorting.

_"Leave. You're obviously feeling well enough to move."_

Pointing to the door, he's met with an honest smile touching her lips.

"Arigatou, Sanzo-sama. Sayanora!" She waved.

_"Whatever."_

Yet he still found himself waving his fingers in response to her back.

Closing the door, he padded his way to the bed and flopped on his back. Staring at the ceiling, it didn't seem to take quite so long for him to drift to sleep this time, a small hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

As the door shut behind her, the young woman found herself face-to-face with a certain philandering hanyou.

_"What was that all about, honey?"_

Missing the deteseted pet name, she found herself grinning like the Cheshire cat at what Gojyo seemed to be asking. Bowing her head respectfully, the willowy girl moved past him, lifting a hand in parting, leaving the 22-year-old kappa to wonder.

_"Heh. Well, the stinky ol' monk can't really say anything anymore when I bring a girl back to my hotel room."_


End file.
